READING 1:
Isaiah 66:18-21 Psalm
117 READING 2: Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 GOSPEL: Luke 13:22-30
What would it feel like to you to get to heaven’s door and find the doors closed to you? Can you imagine hearing a voice from within heaven saying, “I do not know you; I do not know where you are from?” What does it feel like now if doors are closed in your face? Divorce closes a door; loss of a job closes a door; flunking out of school closes a door; illness closes a door; addiction, imprisonment, tragic betrayals, financial catastrophes, all close doors. We may have friends here today who feel like a door has been closed on their lives. But Jesus opens doors. In fact when one door closes, we turn to Jesus knowing he will open another door for us. Do you remember the year you thought everything was lost because a girlfriend dumped you and later you met the woman you love to this day? But he will not force us to open doors we insist on keeping closed. He will not force the self centered to be compassionate, he will not force the selfish to be generous, and he will not force the angry to be forgiving. And, as this gospel tells us, there are ultimate consequences for the choices we make. But if we ask him, he will open the doors to our best selves and he will open the doors to our better future. The doors were opened at Queen of Peace here in Gainesville twenty years ago, thanks be to God. It is a good time to look back to our past and through the doors to our future. [4 Minute Video] As we can see, we have come a long way in twenty years. The names of our parishioners are enshrined within these walls and every registered member who was here in 2001 is engraved in the Spirit window. When we walked through the doors tonight we passed the names of those who made financial sacrifices to provide this beautiful church. I always say a prayer for them. Today, we are being challenged to open new doors. The Queen of Peace Community has an opportunity to open our doors for more classrooms so that more children may be transformed through our faith based Catholic Academy . We are being challenged to open doors to our youth center so that more teenagers may find our campus a place where they can invite their friends for positive activities. We are being challenged to open doors to our adult center so that grown-ups can gather for programs, sports, meetings, and fun and enjoy grown-up refreshment and reunion in a positive environment. This is an opportunity to have an immediate impact in the life of our parish; but also on generations we will not even know. This will be our legacy and what we do here now will never be forgotten. We are opening doors to the future and the doors we open will be doors to the sacred for some who wouldn’t think of coming in the front door of the church. We will be inviting non-Catholic and non-practicing Catholic friends here to these facilities who wouldn’t think of coming to the west side of our campus and entering the church but will come to the east side for fun. And they can’t help but be affected by the spirit of this community when they come. The spirit of this community is very attractive because we are faith-filled, hope-filled, love-filled and fun. The more opportunities we share on this campus the more opportunity there is for the Spirit of the Lord to open doors to a greater horizon. Our Academy now has two pre-ks, two k’s and two first grades. We have one class for the rest up to our first eighth grade. If you could see how spectacular the children are, you’d be so proud. We actually had a new mother of a newborn baby come to pre-register so her child could be first on the waiting list four years from now. There are now 317 students and that is our full capacity with our current facilities. As you enter our beautiful campus, you can’t help but see that the Academy offices and music room are now in temporary trailers. For our Academy to grow to the 500 children we will be expected to serve, we need to finish the facilities. Our youth and our adults do not have dedicated facilities. We have learned from our Protestant brethren that these facilities have a critical impact in drawing them in. Our facilities are not just for Academy kids; they are for our entire parish. We all will come here and learn and grow. Speaking of learning, I asked one of our smaller children right before Mass what he learned in school this week. He said, “I learned the Spanish word for road is el camel.” I said, “It el camino, the Spanish word for road is not el camel.” He said, “Then I didn’t learn anything.” The new construction will cost about $4 million. I have been visiting with parishioners to ask for donations since May. We now have pledges of $1,726,000. These generous parishioners now challenge everyone in the parish to match their total. Our leadership givers have started giving and we are prepared to begin with $400,000 in the bank. Our parish finance council has looked over what we are currently doing and we cannot take on any more long term debt, so we cannot build any portion that we do not have pledges to cover. Now, I am asking everyone in the parish to make a serious donation to open these doors to the future. I don’t know anyone’s personal business so I just ask you to make a stretch for one, two, three or four years. I am hoping even those who are less well off will make a pledge of $1,000 over three years. That would be about $28.00 per month or $7.00 per week more than you are currently giving. Four million dollars sounds overwhelming, but if we all find a way to give to this mission for the Lord, I believe we can open these doors by next fall. I know it is a major step in faith to give more for the church’s work; but over the years I have learned that very few people miss what they give as a return to the Lord. Thank you for all that we have accomplished together and all we are about to accomplish for this wonderful community and for our Lord. Jesus opens doors to new beginnings for us and now calls upon us to open these new doors so we can change lives for the Good News.Fr. Jeff McGowan |
